TORONTO, Nov. 09, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Focused on The Future of Innovation, Personalized Medicine and Genomics, the 21st Annual Healthcare Summit brought together global healthcare experts, policy makers and industry leaders, where pharmacogenomic (“PGx” - gene-drug compatibility) testing was highlighted as a game-changing technology that should be made a routine part of healthcare in Canada. According to Summit Moderator, Dr. Alan Low, Clinical Associate Professor, UBC, and a pharmacist who consults with people on their PGx results, “PGx testing provides valuable information to help people and health practitioners make optimal prescribing decisions. It should be routinely applied as there is strong evidence supporting the use of your genetic profile to identify the most appropriate drugs and doses and individualize the drug therapies you are on or may need in the future.”
The 2 day Summit included a panel discussion on PGx, featuring experts Kristine Ashcraft, Medical Affairs Director, Invitae, Dr. Bernard Esquivel, Chief Medical Officer, GenXys, Dr. Jehannine Austin, Professor of Medical Genetics, UBC, and Nancy White, CEO, Inagene Diagnostics Inc. Moderated by Dr. Martin Dawes, Family Physician and Chief Scientific Officer, GenXys, the panel shared compelling statistics underscoring why PGx testing may be a game changer in ensuring all drugs prescribed in Canada are safe and effective, and in managing surging healthcare costs:
“A patient dies every 2 minutes due to non-optimized medications (drugs that won’t work or will be unsafe based on an individual’s genetic profile). We spend more on non-optimized medications than we do on cardiovascular disease, cancer, or diabetes.” (Kristine Ashcraft)
“One third of Canadians live with mental health conditions, and one fifth live with chronic pain, but up to two thirds of them will fail the first drug prescribed, and be left cycling through medications for weeks, months or years.” (Nancy White)
“A systematic review of all the data found that people with depression have a 1.4 times higher chance of recovery if their treatment Is PGx guided than if it’s not.” (Dr. Jehannine Austin)
“Adverse drug events are the #4 cause of death, and cost Canadians $13.7 – 17.7 billion per year.” (Dr. Bernard Esquivel)
These staggering stats are a result of the fact that current “one size fits all” prescribing approaches often fail due to wide gene-driven variations in drug responses between individuals. Esquivel shared that “99% of us have inherited at least some actionable gene variants” (gene variants that drive a lack of effect and/or unexpected toxicity with some drugs). As an alternative to “trial and error”, PGx reveals which drugs and doses will work best for individuals before a script is written.
Among those highlighted who could benefit most from PGx were seniors. Esquivel: “The average senior in long term care takes 10 or more medications - a key reason why they often end up in the emergency room.” Ashcraft described two studies where PGx drove 42 - 71% fewer ER visits, and 39 – 52% fewer hospitalizations in seniors.
Austin’s research revealed that patients want PGx to be an option available to them, and “not just another thing only for the privileged.” White points out that test costs have come down significantly, with Inagene’s test priced at under $300, and many private insurers are now reimbursing PGx tests.
Panelists agreed it’s time to integrate PGx into Canadian medical practice. Ashcraft: “We continue see avoidable loss of lives, cause irreparable damage and increase healthcare spend when we can start doing a better job today.” Austin: “It’s not about whether it is absolutely critical to ensure medications will work and be safe...it’s about the how to do it.” Esquivel: “It’s time to stop treating “patients” and start treating “Bernard” (the person). White: “When you see a patient who has had a meaningful result you will be sold.”
About The Healthcare Summit: The 21st Annual Healthcare Summit (held virtually and live in Vancouver, BC on October 21st/22nd, 2021) was an event that brought together over 50 national and international subject matter experts and leaders in digital health technology, personalized medicine, health innovation, value-based healthcare and genomics with the purpose of educating and discussing the most relevant topics on the rapid acceleration towards digital healthcare.
About Inagene Diagnostics Inc.: Inagene™ Diagnostics Inc. is a CLIA accredited Canadian pharmacogenetic testing company located in Toronto. Inagene’s Personalized Insights™ tests focuses on providing comprehensive and reliable genetic insights to guide drug selection and treatment. Learn more at www.inagene.com
(Acknowledgements: Taken from the 21st Annual Healthcare Summit Panel Session on Pharmacogenomics. www.healthcaresummit.ca.) The full recording of the Pharmacogenomic Panel Discussion can be found here: https://youtu.be/9Yq6zg7Icds
To learn more about pharmacogenetic testing, visit Inagene.com
Note to Editors:
For further information please contact:
Nancy White, Inagene Diagnostics
swhaite@inagene.com
